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No. 6|4,5l6. Patented NOV. 22, I898. D. W.'STIER.

ENVELUP.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 7

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UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

DAVID W. STIER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,516, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed August 16, 1898. Serial No. 688,690. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID W. STIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington,in the District of Oo1umbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in envelops, and more particularly to letter-envelops.

In opening with a knife or cutter envelops of the form now in common use it is often the case that the contents of the envelop become engaged with the knife or cutter, and they are thereby mutilated, so as to render the writing illegible to a greater or less extent, and, furthermore, the contents are often injured by I coming in contact with the gummed sealingflap.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an envelop especially designed for preserving the contents thereof both from injury due to opening with a knife or cutter and from coming into contact with the gummed Other objects are to render it impossible to ascertain the contents of the envelop or to insert a wire or any instrument therein for the purpose of extracting any bill or paper without mutilating the envelop.

With these ends in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, which will first be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, in which similar parts are designated by similar letters of reference, Figure 1 represents a plan or pattern of the un folded envelop-blank having the face or address side in view. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same with the address side turned downward and under and having the end flaps folded into position. Fig. 3 represents a detail sectional view on line III III of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views of end flaps of modified form. I

The letter A in the drawings denotes the flaps being adapted to be folded on the dotted lines shown in Fig. 1. One of the end flaps, as O, is provided at or near the center of its outer edge with a slit or notch c of a depth equal to the width of the overlap of the opposite flap, which, as shown, is V-shaped, though a variety of forms may be used,whereby when the end flaps are folded into position the flap 0, entering the slit or notch c, partly overlaps and partly underlaps the other end flap 0 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The bottom flap B is then folded and secured into position and the envelop is complete. By reference to Fig. 2 the object of the slit or notch c with respect to opening by means of a knife or cutter a sealed envelop of this description without risk or injury to the contents becomes apparent.

In opening an envelop one naturally inserts the point of the cuttter at the upper lefthand corner I), as it would be with the addressed envelop properly before one, cutting under the flap B or turning the letter upside down at the corresponding left-hand corner 1), cutting under the flap B. It willbereadily seen that if the described envelop be opened in this manner either from the corner I), cutting under the top flap B, or from the corner 1), cutting under the bottom flap B, the point and blade of the cutter will glide along one of the end flaps and over upon the other without having any obstruction presented thereto and without coming into contact with the contents of the envelop, whereasin the envelops now in common use the cutter may mutilate the envelop by meeting obstructions due to the folding of the end flaps or engage and mutilate the contents of the envelop by entering under the flap. It is apparent also that owing to the rectangular form of the end flaps it is impossible for the contents to come in touch with the gummed sealing-flap B, and that when the envelop is sealed it is impossible to ascertain its contents or to insert therein any instrument without tearing the envelop.

The overlap of the end flaps may be gummed or ungumined, as desired, and it is evident that the invention may be embodied in envelops or pockets of any size, color, or material.

Instead of forming only one of the end flaps with a notch, as above described, each may be notched, as shown in Fig. 4 at c, and the notched portions interlocked, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the notches need be but half as deep as the notch cin the former case to produce the same amount of over and under lap of the flaps, as will be apparent;

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An envelop consisting of a face or address sheet, top and bottom flaps, and side or end flaps, one of which is formed at or near the center of its end edge with a single slit or notch receiving the end edge of the other side or end flap, each end flap overlapping the other from one side edge to the notch and underlapping it from the other side edge to the notch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. An envelop consisting-of a face or address sheet, top and bottom flaps, and side or end flaps each of which is formed at or near the center of its end edge with a single slit or notch receiving the notched portion of the end edge of the other side or end flap, each end flap overlapping the other from one side edge to the notches and underlapping it from the other side edge to the notches, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. DAVID W. STIER.

\Vitnesses:

CHAs. E. RIORDAN, J 0s. 0. STACK. 

